Rife Posted on January 12, 2021January 12, 2021 [ rahyf ] adjective (especially of something undesirable or harmful) of common occurrence; widespread.in an unchecked or widespread manner. Examples of rife in a sentence: Since the tap water in the city is rife with bacteria, you should only drink bottled water during your visit. Countries with limited clean water resources are rife with cases of stomach viruses. Related